Trolley construction



March 17. 1925.

' J. F. MoN-rmx;

TROLLEY CONSTRUCTION Filed June 27, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

J. F. MQNTINE TROLLEY CONSTRUCTION March 17.y 1925.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Juhe 27, 1925 Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

JOSEPH F. MONTINE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TROLLEY coNsTRUcTroN.

Application led .Tune 27, 1923. Serial No. 648,091.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. MONTINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to aerial tramways for transportation systems for collecting and delivering mails, merchandise, etc., along a route the same comprising an elevatedtrack on which it is mounted for travel and an electric motor driven truck carrying a receptacle containing the mail matter or the like.

The invention has forl its primary object the provision of a truck for tramways ofthe character set forth, wherein a rnovel and improved means is provided for an uninter rupted flow of current from a source of sup- Plr rIhe invention also has for an object to provide a novel and improved trolley construction which will 'at all times be maintained in contact with a source ofy electric current supply and which will not become disengaged therefrom when the truck is passing around a turn or over one of the supportsy for the track.

Other important objects and advantages reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may bel better understood reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication.

Infthe drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a tramway truck constructed in accordance with my invention Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4L is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. l, and L Fig. 6 is ak central longitudinal section through the pulley wheel of the trolley, the support lfor the pulley wheel being broken away.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration the preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed, and in which like reference characters have been used throughout to designatesimilar parts, numeral 5 has been used to denote a pair of spaced vertical supports, preferably of steel or cast iron and which are connected by longitudinally disposed members 7 and 7a at their upper and lower ends, respectively. The members 5, 7 and 7a constitute the frame for the truck, the v member 7a being angular in cross-section and provided with a lateral projection 6, the purpose of lwhich being to provide a means for attachment of the truck to the receptacle or carrier in which the packages will be placed. Securing rivets 8 areemployed for connection of the members 5, 7 and 7a.'

It will, of course, be understood that two of these trucks will be employed, one -at either endy of the receptacle. Either or both of the trucks will be supplied 'with an electric motor which will-be carried by afsuitable housing aixedto vthe horizontal portion of the angle iron A6.' 'Sinceth'e' 'details of the receptacle and themotor attachmentv form no part of the presentV inventiom'a" y further descriptionv thereof is unnecessary.` Coming back to the truck," it will be notedthat the connected ing plate 5 and the upper longitudinal plate portions o-f the supporta i,

r are' providedf with apertures through whichthe Vbearings and axles of traction wheels 9 areinserted The bearing l0 extends beyondone face of the 'supporting` plates`5 and the axle 11 extending therethrough is provided with apulley l2. Two of these pulleys l2 `are provided, one'upon each of the `axles 1l, these-pulleys being keyed to the axles so as to drive the traction wheelsA by means'of a belt which will be passed `over a pulley of a suitable `motor which will be located as found desirable. f

The support for the vtrolley comprises two raised and laterallybentv straps 13. which are riveted or otherwisesecured to the upperv longitudinal plate 7 as indicated at 14;' The free end of these vstraps 18 supporta longi-` l nis'h a connection between the spring arm 18 and the *longitudinal4 member 15, apair of 'rivets 19 may be used in spaced relation, the

purpose of'this construction being to prevent s\\'1ng1ng of the arm 18. Current will prevent injuryfto the block 22. The niembers and 13 are connected by means lof a bolt which is threaded into the longitudr nal member 15. A bushing 2G of insulating material is disposed in the aperture `of the strap 13, while 'an insulating "wasl'ier 27 is I disposed uponl the top ofl the strapl?) to pre- 1 vent the current passingtlieretothrough the bolt 25. :From the foregoing it will be apparent'` that: no current ivillbe conducted to the frame 'of the truck. A connection is made at the rear portion of the horizontal member 15 whereby the current maybe conducted to the motor.

From the foregoing description read @in connection with Ithe accompanying drawings, thev structural features of my invention y will be readily apparent'to' those skilled in the art without furtherA elaboration.

The opera-tion, of the invention may be summarized, as' follows: f f' In running along't'he track 20, the trolley bearing truck will of its 'weight Vcause tothe motor.

j the track l' wirev to" sag somewhat,v this 'action beirig characteristic of aerial tram-l waysor-:carriers'infgeneral. `As the truck will thus be' slightly lower than normally with relationl to `the trolley `Wire 21, contact of the trolley wheel lwiththe latter will be assured as a matter-of course. Now, as the truck approaches one of the track supports .along the lineit will rise toits normal position'with relation tothe trolley wire dueitol fthe; rise oftheY track wire 20 to its' normal elevation, as fixed by vthe support. At this point, a tendency would develop for the trolley'wheel' 16y to rise out of touch withv the trolley'wi're 21, thus interrupting tlie passage of current l The present design oftr'olley arm 18 is intendedfto prevent such an occurrence, however, by exercising .its in- /herent tension, automatically when the eventuality arises. Thus, the ltension of 'the arm will be downward, .whenv tlie truck rtravels at a higher elevation,the arm still exerting ja sufficient pressure upon the trol'- vleyu wheel16 to' constantly vmaintain it on the trolley wire 21. After thetruckjlias passed the 'support and again falls-into `the sagr ofthe track, it should be noted that the trolley arm 18 vis so designedl as to yield further in an upwardl direction in y case an excess of sag develops inv the track wire,thel iniit of this yield beingreached,

vcessive tension of the arni.

of course, when Vthe free end of the arm 1S meets the longitudinal member' 15, `thelatterv thus acting as a bumper "to prevent ex- As noted, the `position of the trolley wheellis practically abreast of the traction wheel ofthe `truckwhicli reduces variation v between the wheels to a minimum when passing' rover track supports or rounding curves. Also, the provision of a long arm, positioned longitudinally of the truck for yieldably Isupporting the trolley wheel is a `verys'i'mple leiq'iedientand does not subject the trolley wheel Lto shock from obn structions withv tendencyl toswerve thesame out of alinein'ent, aswhenfadifferent'character of sprin-g,"s 'uch as: a coil-spring, would be used. .Ili'e novelfeleaf-spr`inglarm imanediately yields in theproper-directionin'a case `such "as me'ntioned, and combines streifigthwith #ailnpfle latitude fof action.

ylliileI have described and illustrated the preferredembodimentjof my invention, yet it fwill be2-distinctlynnderstoodthat I do not proposetolimit myself strictly thereto,

since v-arious'slight changesand modifications may' bef'inade thereinavithOut a depar ture from the spirit of the inventionj the scope of which is defined by the following claims. l' y v I claim: I 1. 'A trolley for" trucks comprising a' sup- `port forming"an/electrical conduit, brackets carried 'by fsaid truck, insulating blocks between? said support' and said. brackets, protecting caps for said blocks, fastening means for lsaid support and 'bracket' connection,- insulating means for said fastening "means,

and a trolley carried bysaidsupport for engagementV witlia source of electric'current.

y' 2. Af trolley for trucks comprisingfasupyport forming an -electrical conduit, brackets carried by saidtruck, insulating `blocks' be tweenl saidsupportand said brackets, protecting caps for said blocks, `ilast'enli-ng means' for saidy support and rbracket connection, insulating. means for'said fastening kmeans, and a trolley carried by said support adjacent oiie of the wheels of said truck,

3. The combination with4 the running. gear of a truck; of a support, a flexible trolley arm carried by the latter and extending.

therefrom in a direction parallel-to the path of travel, and a wheel carriedvfby the free end of said trolley arm,'said support forniv,ing a bumper' for saidj--trolley arm when the latteryields to'excessive pressureby-the trolley wire=on whichthe wheel rides.

Il. A trolley construction for trucks comprising a support forming, an electric-10011- duit, supporting brackets therei'forA carried by said truck and extending laterally from one side of the' truck fframe, 'means-for insulating said support yfrom saidffbrackets,

vIl() l and a trolley yieldably carried by the lower face of said support for engagement with the source of current supply.

5. A trolley construction for trucks coInprising a support, therefor extending laterally from one side of said truck for disposing said support in parallelism thereto, a vertically yieldable trolley carried beneath said support, said trolley including a spring metal strap eX- tending in the direction of the length of said support, and a Contact element carried by said strap substantially parallel with a traction Wheel of said truck.

6. A trolley construction for trucks comprising a support forming an electric conduit, supporting brackets therefor vcarried by said truck, insulating blocks disposed besupporting brackets :from one side thereof, supporting means f therefor, a trolley yieldably carried beneath said support and extending in the direction of the length thereof, and said support serving asian abutment for said trolley to limit the movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signal l ture.

JOSEPH F. ,MONTINE 

